Since starting Collins Comfort Masters in 1985 I have continuously sought for the most efficient ways to provide affordable comfort to our customers.  In this pursuit of quality I have learned to avoid certain replacement parts with low prices but high failure rates.  I have used several different equipment manufacturers in search of the best heating and cooling equipment for my customer’s dollar.

These days it seems everything is changing.  It takes a vigilant eye to watch what manufacturers are doing to keep or gain market share and stay profitable.  I often write about two manufacturers that have traditionally led the pack - TRANE and LENNOX.  These companies still produce fine equipment and Lennox especially fully stands behind what they sell.  Because of popular demand we sell and install abundant amounts of equipment made by each of these companies, BUT I wanted to make you aware of a 3^rd manufacturer and a product they sell that I believe is 2^nd to none.

Over the last several years I’ve had the opportunity to tour several A/C manufacturing facilities, not the least of these being factories owned by Trane, Lennox and Goodman.  But this spring I toured a factory who’s processes impressed me more than any other - Nordyne.  Nordyne is the manufacturer of Maytag, Frigidaire and Westinghouse brands, among others.  While they have several models produced for each brand, today I’m writing about their “IQ” Equipment.

Nordyne’s IQ Drive® has won the prestigious Consumer Digest Best Buy award two years in a row; 2009 and 2010. Delivering a SEER rating of up to 24.5, there is simply no equipment made that beats it. The IQ Drive® achieves this by utilizing inverter-driven rotary technology.  Currently, this is the only ducted application of this technology in North America.  Inverter-driven rotary technology is different in that the system is almost always running.  The unit can modulate anywhere from 40% to 118% of capacity, instantly adjusting to exactly offset the cooling demands on the house.  Because the IQ Drive unit doesn’t cycle on and off like a traditional system, it saves a lot of energy and considerably reduces sound levels.  In fact, sound ratings are from 59 to 72 decibels, the lowest in the industry.

If I were to replace my a/c system today (my a/c is only a few years old) I would replace it with an IQ-Drive® system.  I am tempted to do it anyway.  (any takers on a slightly used 5 ton a/c system with gas furnace???)

I’d like to give you 4 reasons why there has never been a better time to upgrade your old heating and cooling system to a high efficiency comfort system:

1. Price:  I have received unseasonably low prices from our Frigidaire distributor.  While I have these prices I would like to pass the savings on to you.  Also, the equipment you decide on may qualify for a federal tax credit, utility rebate and special manufacturer rebates.

2. Quality: The quality of today’s equipment supersedes all I’ve ever seen.  10 year warranties used to be the exception, now it is the rule with high-end equipment.  The Frigidaire IQ-DRIVE® system not only has a 10 year compressor and parts warranty, but Nordyne’s “Quality Pledge.”  This, in essence, is that if the compressor fails during the 1^st 10 years, Nordyne will replace the whole unit, not just the compressor.  They can do this because in their manufacturing process they test each air conditioner 144 times, and each furnace 234 times.  For more information on IQ-Drive® technology, go to http://iqdrive.net/index.html

3. Efficiency:  Along with quality, the energy efficiency of today’s equipment is nearly mind-boggling.  Two-stage compressors are used to achieve very high SEER ratings, but now, with the IQ-Drive® variable speed compressor, efficiencies are amazingly high.  These systems may cut your cooling costs more than in half, and your heating costs by as much as 70%.

4. Financing:  No payment / No interest 12 months oac!  We also have several other attractive financing options with no pre-payment penalties.

I know it is difficult to replace a working a/c system.  (I’m under the same quandary!)  But a few years ago when I replaced my 5 ton Amana system with a dual compressor Trane system I first counted the revolutions of the electric meter before starting the job – 13 times per minute.  After the job was finished, I put the system in low speed, where it runs most of the time, and went to recount the revolutions; the meter was going so slow that I thought the a/c wasn’t running!  After confirming the a/c was running I again counted the revolutions; 5-1/2 times compared to 13 before!  Our meter is now digital, but still I can’t wait to see what happens when I install an IQ-Drive system!!!

I feel this country may be on the brink of major inflation.  Fuel costs alone are beginning do drive up the costs of all commodities. I believe that now is a better time than ever to upgrade while the price incentive is here.  Lowering energy costs and leaving money in the bank for other necessities.

Sincerely,

Collins W. Owens